Falling Slowly
by likebranchesinastorm
Summary: CS one-shot: Hook goes to Manhattan to kill Gold, but finds a broken Emma and comforts her instead of killing his crocodile (based on spoilers for upcoming episodes Manhattan and The Queen is Dead). I own nothing.


Killian was _furious. _How _dare _they screw him over like that when he was obviously the most important piece of the puzzle in killing Rumplestiltskin? Gingerly, he picked himself up from the library floor where they had left him. This was going to hurt in the morning. He limped towards the front door. He doubted he would ever come in here for ill intentions again, unless it was revenge on Cora or Regina. The library door slammed shut behind him as he stared out to the Main street of Storybrooke. He had no idea what to do now, whether to rejoin Emma (wherever the hell she was now), or continue his quest for revenge. He was surprised to realize that he was crying. He sat down on the curb and let the sobs take over his body, tears slipping down from his eyes. _What the hell was he supposed to do now?_

"Hook?" said a familiar voice. He composed himself and turned to see Emma's mother, Mary Margaret, standing there.

"Ah, Mary Margaret. H-how are you, lass?" he asked politely.

"Far better than you are at the moment, from the looks of it," said Mary Margaret. Killian smiled ruefully.

"I just don't know what to do," he said.

"I kind of guessed this was going to happen," sighed Mary Margaret.

"Then why didn't you warn me? Why didn't your daughter warn me?" demanded Killian.

"Because would you have listened if I had warned you?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Probably not, no," admitted Killian.

"And Emma? I thought you already knew."

"Knew _what_?" asked Killian.

"That she's gone. She's left Storybrooke to find Gold's son with Henry," Mary Margaret informed him.

"So that's what those two . . . _witches_ were discussing," muttered Killian. His eyes widened with realization. "Emma and her lad are _alone _with that demon?!"

"Killian. I know what you're planning. I know what you were planning. You're not the most secretive of men, you know. I know," said Mary Margaret.

"You know what?" asked Killian.

Mary Margaret just looked at him as if it was totally obvious. "Just protect her, all right? Promise me, Hook. Promise me that you'll protect my daughter. Even though I already know that you will. You're not going to align yourself with Cora again are you?" she asked.

"Absolutely not," snarled Killian.

"How are you going to get there, anyway?" asked Snow.

"With my ship. It was the fastest ship in our world," said Killian.

"Killian. I want to trust you. I want to know that my decision to help you won't be in vain," said Mary Margaret.

"Help me?" Killian was confused.

"There is no way I am going to let Cora and Regina anywhere near that dagger," said Snow.

"Thank you, Snow. I will do what I can to protect Emma," said Killian.

"I know you will, Hook. The sooner you leave, the better."

Killian winked at her and marched off in the direction of his ship. The brunette smiled as the pirate walked away.

"Henry just listen to me, _please_!" begged Emma. They were back in the hotel room. Things had _not _gone as planned. When Henry had realized that Neal, who was actually Baelfire, was his father, he refused to listen to Emma. He was angry, he was hurt, he was confused. If he was just angry and confused, then it would be easier to not get emotional over, but the fact that he was _hurt _on top of angry and confused, made it all the worse.

"Why? So you can spew more lies my way?" snapped the 11 year old. Neal had just stared between his ex-girlfriend and his son that afternoon once everything had been figured out. Needless to say, he was shocked.

"I only lied to you to protect you! I didn't want you thinking that both your parents were mess-ups," said Emma, tears falling down her cheeks quickly.

"Yeah, well guess what? Only one of you is a mess-up, and it isn't my dad."

"Henry," said Emma brokenly.

"Just leave me alone, I wanna go to sleep," said Henry sullenly.

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered to her son's back before stepping out into the hotel hallway. Emma sighed as she walked out into the drizzly New York night.

Killian was hiding behind a tree when he saw the demon he hunted walking towards the park. As sneakily as humanly possible, the pirate followed him. But then he saw Emma. She looked _dreadful. _Beautiful as always. But she looked more abandoned than usual.

He needed to see her. Up-close. Console her. Talk to her. Tell her he was there for her.

"Love?" he called out. He knew she would recognize his voice. And she did. She turned in his direction.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Emma. She didn't sound angry, or displeased to see him. She sounded shocked, and dejected all at once.

"I came to see you," said Killian simply.

"The only reason I'm here is to protect you from Gold!" said Emma, fresh tears springing to her eyes. They barely knew each other but they were falling for each other.

"You did?" asked Killian. Emma just nodded.

"Come on lass, you need some company that I'm not worried about killing you," said Killian.

"Let me guess, you?" asked Emma.

"How did you know?" said Killian theatrically. Emma smiled a shadow of a smile and took his hand.

"I might just take you up on that offer," said Emma.

"Well, how do you like her?" asked Killian as Emma stepped up onto the ship.

"It suits you," said Emma.

"Come, follow me," said Killian taking her to the captain's quarters. Inside was a small wood stove, a double bed, a desk with some maps and pencils on it, a book shelf, a liquor cabinet, and some chairs at the desk. Killian found it hard to believe that Emma Swan was in his quarters. He motioned her to sit down. He gave her a glass of something, it looked like whiskey.

"Cheers," said Killian, clinking his glass with hers.

"Cheers," said Emma sullenly, taking a sip of her drink. Surprisingly she didn't frown or sputter when she swallowed. She must have been a good drinker.

"So what happened, darling? What's got you so blue?" asked Killian.

Emma's eyes filled up again. "Henry. He hates me," she said.

"He could never hate you, love. No one could ever hate me," said Killian.

"You did. When I was stuck in that cell back – back there," said Emma.

"I could never hate you. I was just confused," said Killian. "Continue, I sense there's more to this story."

"OK, so I owed Gold a favour. He cashed it in the other day after you were admitted to the hospital. He said he needed to find his son and I was going to help him, or he'd kill you. So I agreed, and took Henry along with us to find Gold's son." Killian was so touched that Emma would risk her life for his, he leaned in and kissed her gently. She didn't push away. She kissed him back.

"Thank you for that," said Killian.

"What for kissing you or saving your life?"

"Both," replied Killian. He smiled.

"Anyway, we get here, and it turns out that Gold's son is Henry's dad." Killian winced. "Yeah. You asked me once if I'd ever been in love. This was him. Neal. I met him when I was just seventeen. I just got out of the foster system, which is . . . hell. And he let me think that he loved me. He said we were going to have a life together, that we were going to stop stealing and settle down. He said he loved me, and then he went and betrayed me. He framed me for his crime and left me in prison. And then – I found out I was pregnant with Henry while I was there," Emma had to stop for a while to gain control of her sobs. Killian held her hand. She swallowed and continued. "And it doesn't help that I'd been abandoned my entire life. My parents were, well at the time I thought they were assholes, but no, they were cursed and living in that damn town. And no one loved me. So when Henry finally came into my life, he asked about Neal, his father. And I _lied_. He knew that I had him while I was in jail. I didn't even get to hold him after he was born, only for two minutes before social services took him away from me. So, I lied. I didn't want him to think both of his parents were screw-ups. And then, today happens, and just when I think my life is on track, that I have people that love me, I'm reminded, no. No one loves me. No one cares for me." Emma didn't even try to control her sobs any more.

"Oh, love. Don't you know it? I care. You've suffered more than enough. It's time that you win. And know that I will never leave you. I promise," said Killian. That just about killed Emma. She sobbed even harder. He pulled her into him. She sobbed into his neck for a long time. Somehow, he ended up with her on his bed, with her sobbing into him for a long time. He just whispered soothing words into her ear and cradled her in his arms, when it dawned on him.

_He loved her. _

"Emma, love?" he whispered when her sobbing had subsided. He thought she had fallen asleep in his arms. But she raised her head. She was beautiful even in her brokenness.

"Thank you," she choked out.

"For what?" asked Killian.

"Being there for me," said Emma.

"Of course, love," said Killian, "I'm very fond of you, you know."

Out of nowhere, she kissed him. Sweetly, gently. Full of love.

"It's about bloody time," he said, as he pulled her against him and kissed her again.


End file.
